Cuff link



Nov. 22, 1960 v, ANDERSON 2,960,738

CUFF'LINK Filed Feb. 17, 1958 FIG.4

INVENTOR. OLOF V. ANDERSON ATTORNEY 2,960,738 CUFF LINK jOlof- V. Anderson, North- Kingston. R.I assignor to Alison, Inc., Providence, R.I., a corporation of Rhode Island Filed Feb. -17, 1958,-'Sei*. No.'715,632

4Claims. (Cl. 24-97) Thi'sinvention relates to a cuff link and more particularly to the yoke of a swiveling head cufflink in which a new ornamental design is achieved; a new fastening means 'for' the swiveling head and anew lay of the cuff link in the cuff is provided.

Cuff links 'in which' the heads are movable to'facilitate passage through the button holes of cuffs usually require some sortof pivoting or swiveling action in which a spring may be positioned for holding the head in deshall comprise few and simple parts that are easily assei'nbled; cheap to manufacture and particularly adapted -to quantity production, including a new ornamental result and a new two-way spring detent swiveling yoke assembly, efficient and practical to a high degree in'use.

"And still another object of the present invention is to "provide anew cuff link which engages the button hole of-thecuffin amanner to provide a new lay of the cuff link'in the button hole of the shirt cuff.

And still another object of the present invention is to construct a cufflink' which will readily be insertable through the usual'buttonholes in the culfends,'and which will not fall out of one cuff end when theother cuff end is detached. The present yoke construction "provides me-ansfor retaining'the cuff link in one cuff end'and is so arrangedas' not'to'interfere with theinsertion and 'removal of the cuff link from the-cuff ends. This new 'yoke construction also'holds the two cuff ends in a predetermined relationship.

Other objects of the present invention willbecome apparent in part and be pointed out in part in the following specification and claims.

Similar characters ofreference'refer to like parts in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a'fragmentary view of the sleeve of a shirt 'showing a shirt cuff and 'a'cuff link*c'onstructed in ac- 'cordance'with the present invention creating a' new illusion of a cufflink ornament fioatingon a cuff.

Figure 2 is a side-elevational view of the new and improvedcuff link showing a fragmentary 'section'faf a'shirt cuff in cross section.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of Figure 2 eliminating the fragmentary section of the shirt cuff.

Figure 4 is a plan view of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal detail cross sectional view of the swiveling head.

'22 and a minor bevel 23.

Figure 7 is a detail side elevational'view of a modified form of yoke member. 1

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of a modified form of yoke member.

Figure 9 is a side elevational view of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a vertical sectional view taken alongline 10'10 of Figure 8.

Figure 11 is an enlarged perspective detail view of the pin illustrated in Figures 8, 9, 10 and 12.

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing a modified form of yoke end employing the pin illustrated in Figure 11.

Referring to the drawings; and particularly to Figures 2 and 5, there is illustrated a new and improved yoke member, generally indicated by reference numeral" 10. Yoke member 10 may be a stamping formed by the well known punch and die method and consists of a transverse bar member 13 rounded on each end to provide shoulders 14, 15 which terminate in two spaced apart arms 11, 12. Arms 11, 12 are angularly positioned or offset at an angle to transverse bar 13. 'Arrns 11 and 12 are then formed 01' bent into parallel relation, as at 11C and 12C. The ends'of arms 11C and 12C are formed or bent at right angles on their ends to form sections 11D and 12D. The ends of sections 11D and 12D are provided with an interlocking arrangement such as a tongue and groove. The tongue consists of a major bevel The groove consists of an interfitting major bevel 24 and a minor bevel 25. See Figure 7. The tongue and groove provide a permanent support in the form of a square pin section of a detent when arms 11C and 12C are squeezed together in a semipermanent set.

Transverse bar 13 is provided with a plurality of prongs illustrated for example as constituting threein number '16; 17, 18. Each prong is provided with a separate mental bars 16A, 17A, and 18A prongs 16,17 and 18 "may support two bowlingpins and a bowling ball or a golf club' head, golf ball'and golf tee or the head of a bird dog, a bird and a shot gun shell; by wayof example.

45' These ornaments will'appear on a shirt cuff in the illusion of being attached to the cloth of the shirt cuff. This illu- Referring to Figure 2 wherein is illustrated the front section "40 and the rear section 41 of a French cuff on a shirt sleeve 42. Front and rear sections 40 and '41 are provided with the conventional cuff button holes 43 and '44. Dimension A the distance across shoulders 14,' 15

is 'slightly'greater than the length of button holes 43', '44. Dimension B, see Figure 5,is equal to the thickness of a shirt cuff and will vary in accommodating a French cuff or abarrel cuff. Transverse bar member 13 lies parallel tofront cuff 40 as illustrated in Figure 2. Sections 11C and are perpendicular to back cuff 41. Am 12 lies in a plane to abut back cuff 41 and in co-operation with head 20 holds back cuff 41 in a predetermined position so as to provide and hold front cuff 40 and back cuff 41 in pre-selected relationship; dimension Y. The distance between the side of arm 12 which abuts the shirt cuff 41 and the side of head 20 which abuts because both the ornament and the distance across the shoulders 14, 15 is greater than the length of the button hole.

Referring to Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 wherein is illustrated a modified form of yoke member, generally indicated by reference character 10A and consisting of a multiple prong 16B,'17B, 18B transverse'bar member 13A rounded on each end to provide shoulders 14A, 15A which terminate in two spaced apart arms 11A, 12A. Arms 11A, 12A are angularly positioned or off set at an angle to transverse bar 13A. Arms 11A, 12A are then formed or bent into parallel relation as at sections 11B, 12B to form a lyre shape yoke member 10A. The ends of section 11B, 12B may be provided with a tongue and groove detent bar as previously described or sections 1113, 12B may be provided with straight ends to hold the conventional pin illustrated in Figure 11 as will presently appear.

The head illustrated in Figures 2, 4 and 9 may be fixed at right angles to yokes 10 or 10A or any standard form of cam and spring arrangement may be utilized for releasably retaining the head in selected position and thereby provide a movable or swivelable or detent type head as illustrated in Figures 5, 6, 8 and 10. No claim per se is made to the construction of the swiveling head illustrated in Figures 6 and 10. Any detent head will serve the same function to yoke members 10, 10A.

Referring to Figures 6 and 10 wherein is shown in cross section a construction of a swivelling head consisting of a hollow tubular open ended shell 31 provided with a transverse orifice 32 which accommodates a square pin 36 having rounded opposite ends 37, 38. A U-shaped spring 33 is housed in shell 31 and is held in position by means of its enlarged head 34 and enlarged ends 35, 35A. A plug 39 ornamentally closes the open end of shell 31 and is fixed therein in any well known manner such as welding or crimping as illustrated.

In the form of end illustrated in yoke 10A and which may be provided in yoke 10, sections 1113, 12B are parallel. Pin 36 by means of ends 37, 38 is permanently and rigidly secured in sections 11B, 12B with the square area 36 interposed between the U of spring 33 to provide a detent action.

In the form of end illustrated in Figures 5 and 7 and for yoke 10 and which may be provided in yoke 10A, Figures 8, 9 and 10, the right angled bent ends of arms 11B, 12B are placed between the Uof spring 33. Arms 11B, 12B are then squeezed to interlock tongue 22, 23 in groove 24, to provide a square area and detent for head 20. This tongue and groove construction is deemed an advantage and forms part of the new yoke concept.

Arm 12A in modified form Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 serves the same function in holding back cuff 41 in pre-selected position when co-operating with head 20 as does arm 12 in the form illustrated in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5. Yoke 10 may be termed a modified form of lyre shape when compared to yoke 10A.

Having shown and described preferred embodiments of the present invention, by way of example, but realizing that structural changes can be made and other examples given without departing from either the spirit or scope of this invention, what I claim is:

1. A cuff link comprising a yoke member having a transverse bar member, two spaced apart arms, rounded shoulders connecting opposite ends of said transverse bar member with said two spaced apart arms, a plurality of prongs projecting from said transverse bar member, individual ornamental members attached separately to said plurality of prongs, said ornamental members being adapted to lay on the face of a front cuff end, the prongs being of a heighth at least equal to the thickness of the material in a normal cuff, said transverse bar member and said shoulders being greater in length than the width of the combined ornamental members, and a head mounted between said spaced apart arms.

2. A cuff link comprising a yoke member having a transverse bar member, two spaced apart arms, rounded shoulders connecting opposite ends of said transverse bar member with said two spaced apart arms, a plurality of prongs projecting from said transverse bar member, individual ornamental members attached separately to said plurality of prongs, said ornamental members being adapted to lay on the face of a front cuff end, the prongs being of a heighth at least equal to the thickness of the material in a normal cuff, said transverse bar member and said shoulders being greater in length than the combined width of said prongs and said ornamental member, and a head mounted between said spaced apart arms, said spaced apart arms being formed at an angle to said transverse bar member so as to cause said front cuff end to lie at a predetermined angle in relation to a rear cuff end, with the rear cuff end interposed between said head and spaced apart arms at an angle complementary to the angle at which said spaced apart arms are formed in relation to said transverse bar member.

3. A cuff link comprising a yoke member having a transverse bar member, two spaced apart arms, rounded shoulders connecting opposite ends of said transverse bar member with said two spaced apart arms to form a lyre shape, said transverse bar member having an angular relation to said two spaced apart arms, said spaced apart arms extending into sections parallel to each other, said parallel sections having two opposite ends one on each spaced apart arm bent at ninety degrees inwardly toward each other, a tongue formed with a major bevel and a minor bevel in one of said opposite ends, the other of said opposite ends having a groove therein, said groove being formed with a complementary major and minor bevel, means to attach an ornament to said transverse bar member and a detent head pivotally mounted and held between said parallel sections by means of said tongue and groove.

4. A cuff link comprising a yoke member having a transverse member, two spaced arms, rounded shoulders connecting opposite ends of said transverse member with said two spaced arms to form a lyre shaped yoke member, a plurality of prongs projecting from said transverse member, an ornamental member fixed to each prong, the combined length of said transverse member and rounded shoulders being greater than the combined width of said prongs and said ornamental members, the ornamental members being that portion of the cuff link remaining outside of a cuff, said prongs projecting from said transverse member a distance at least equal to the thickness of the material on one side of a normal cuff, and a swiveling head pivotally mounted between the spaced arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 59,635 Padmore Nov. 13, 1866 423,841 Visanska Mar. 18, 1890 1,068,519 Mooney July 29, 1913 2,058,850 Brecht et a1. Oct. 27, 1936 2,186,955 Bullock Jan. 16, 1940 2,270,677 Cronan Jan. 20, 1942 2,798,272 Boots July 9, 1957 w if 

